True Self
by Phoenix of Starlight
Summary: Five years before this story began, Belphegor and Fran had something in common: a huge change in their world. Unfortunately, other minds may realize this divine development before they do, creating extreme disaster for their delicate lives. B26. Mild language.
1. A Typical Dinner

True Self

**Chapter 1:_ Twin Princes, and a Frog_**

Five years before this Story began, There were two princes named Belphegor and Rasiel. They were forced to share everything- from looks, to voices, to the royal throne. They would bicker about it frequently, often resorting to name-calling, or petty-theft of each other's belongings. But one day, the younger twin, Belphegor, had had enough.

Using the set of knives his father had gifted him, Belphegor plunged his weapon into Rasiel's chest, and carved his heart from his body. Drenched in his brother's blood, Bel reached up high, watching the blood drip down his own arms, and he screamed in ecstasy, crying, "I am the king! I am the one who will take the throne! I, Prince Belphegor, am the winner!"

And king he was... for about ten minutes. Then, his family found out what he'd done, and he was banished from the kingdom. And so, with tiara held high, Belphegor ran, and ran, then, one day, found an organization called the Varia. They'd heard of his natural killing instincts, and took him in. There Belphegor stayed for the rest of his life up until the point where this story begins- the point in which a young boy named Fran joined the Varia.

Now, let's turn the clocks back just once more. Just as Bel was getting fed up with his brother, Fran was a sweet little boy, helping his grandmother around the house with his talent for household chores and cooking. Fran was like the perfect wife, putting up with a lot of crap through his life, and keeping the ones of the house well fed.

But, on the same day that Bel gripped his brother's pulsing heart in his hand, Fran changed dramatically. He became dark, and shut himself up in his room, using all of his time to draw morbid pictures and dark scenes. He was absorbed in a life that didn't seem to be his, alone, and swimming in corruption constantly. He was a destroyed soul, and when his elderly grandmother passed, his heart, too, took flight. One day, he met Mukuro Rokudo. That man had also experienced the pain of his soul being broken, and he raised Fran, nurturing him on his own personal hate and greed.

The boy named Fran seemed like an illusion. He was lost to the world, plucked from it like a ripe fruit, and swallowed by the darkness of the human mind. Years after his dramatic change in personality, he was asked to join the Varia, as they needed someone to fulfill the 'Mist' position. He accepted with an empty mind, and soon found himself faced with the biggest challenge of his life: Belphegor.

_This_, readers, is where the story begins.

"Senpai!" Fran called, his eye twitching as he watched the sight that only annoyed him further. "Would you please stop dancing on the table and eat you damned dinner?"

Bel grinned at the illusionist, and lifted his leg high, before slamming his foot into the extremely squishy frog hat that he forced the Mist guardian to wear. "You have no room to order the prince, stupid frog," he laughed, watching as Fran didn't react to his actions. "Ushishishishi~ Stop ignoring the prince, frog!" he hissed, repeating the stomping move.

"Senpaaai?" Fran droned, his voice monotonous. "Would you please stop stepping on my head? I might cry, and then you're really gonna get it."

"As if the stupid frog can even summon the energy to be sad for once!" Bel grunted, swinging his foot around and kicking Fran in the jaw. He stuck out his tongue as Fran glared at him, then grinned, but immediately lost the look when Fran grabbed on to his ankle. The prince yelped in shock as Fran hurdled him off of the table, and groaned as his body hit the floor. "Annoying little thing," he growled, standing and dusting himself off."

"I warned you," Fran sighed, going back to eating his dinner, which had miraculously survived Bel's abuse unharmed. Bel stood, and walked over to Fran's chair, then leaned over it, placing his elbows on the convenient frog hat.

"Ne, stupid frog?" Bel said. "Need the prince to cut up that steak for you? Your insulting mouth might have trouble getting a hunk of meat like that down." Fran only replied by stabbing the steak with his fork, and shoving the entire cut into Bel's mouth, making the prince gag, falling backwards.  
>"Stop treating me like a kid," Fran said cooly, swinging his right leg over his left. "Next time you bug me, I'll shove that steak somewhere else."<p>

Bel hissed with anger, and returned to his seat beside Squalo, the strategy captain of the Varia. "Ne, Squalo," he began, reaching to poke the long, silver-haired swordsman. Squalo turned, placing the tip of the blade on his hand against Bel's nose.

"Listen up, Bel," he snarled. "You bother me one time during dinner, and I swear, I'll cut you into the next steak."

Bel sighed, and looked at his dinner, before letting his neck give way, making his face smash into his plate in a comical manner. "Mou, Bel-chan!" protested the reknown cook and flamboyant Sun guardian of the Varia, Lussuria. "I work so hard to serve you dinner every night, you could at least do me the favor of eating it!"

"He's too stupid to recognize it as food, Luss," Fran snorted. "Just ignore him, and maybe his brain will grow on it's own. I doubt it, though." Bel's face rose dramatically from his plate, sauces, salt, and mashed potato decorating every inch of it.

"I'm a genius, stupid frog," Bel spat.

"You may be a genius at heart," Fran acknowledged, "but that doesn't change the fact that you covered your own face in food like that four-legged animal that goes 'oink.'" Bel twitched with rage, and at last lost it, throwing a knife across the dinner table into Fran's shoulder. The illusionist merely pulled it out, not a single drop of blood to adorn the blade, and he bent it, before tossing it over his shoulder. "No toys at the table, senpai."

"Don't bend them!" Bel protested, before licking a drop of steak sauce as it dripped down his cheek like a red tear. "Idiot frog."

"Sorry I hurt your feelings," Fran teased. "Princess Bella-freak-gore."

"That was pretty clever," Squalo snickered. "Can't do anything with 'Fran.'"

Bel blushed furiously, and kicked out under the table, grinning when he felt his foot collide with the one place that was any man's weakness. Suddenly, Levi groaned, and doubled over, snarling curses as he collapsed, and Bel bit his lip, frustrated by his miss, before dropping his face, once more, into his dinner. "Today sucks," he protested.

Indeed, it wasn't a very good day to be Prince the Ripper. He'd managed to fail an assignment for the first time since he joined the Varia, got his ass kicked by his target, and when he got home, they were out of ice cream, he smashed his face into his dinner, and Fran was in the mood to insult him. He'd tried to break out a few dance moves on the table to lighten up the mood, but that was just too much for Fran's simple little mind to deal with.

Not to say Fran was simple. If anything, Fran's mind was more intricate and complex than a thousand-meter long cobweb, full of tangles and gaps. He was a broken boy, and couldn't go ten minutes without making a smart remark or insulting someone. "Hey, senpai," Fran began, before taking a bite of his own dinner. He swallowed, and continued, "Heard you got your prissy little behind handed to you by your enemy today." Bel gave a groan of complaint, pleading Fran not to go there.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Y'know they sent out one of Levi's little friends to take care of him? Y'know they came back successful? Isn't that embarassing, senpai?" Fran monotoned, but the mischief in his eyes was evident. "Before long, you're gonna get a demotion, and Levi's buddy will take your place. Wouldn't that be just the most humiliating thing ever, senpai?"

"Yes, Fran," Bel muttered, grinding his teeth together as he spoke through them into his mashed potatoes, "it sure would."

And the rest of the night continued uneventful, aside from Bel's particularly long shower to get all of the steak sauce out of his messy, blonde hair.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Gosh, this took me forever to finish! *groan and facepalm* Well, looks like fluff isn't going to happen these first few chapters. But, if you all know me, you know I won't be able to resist for long!<p>

Please Review!


	2. Crash!

**True Self**

**Chapter 2**

_4:00 P.M._

"Well, trash, I'm afraid there's a little assignment for the two of you," Xanxus sighed, gazing at the two youngest Varia. He was slightly annoyed that an assignment had come up requiring the two Guardians that bickered and fought the most, but such was life. Belphegor and Fran sent each other intense glares, although it was difficult to tell whether Fran was actually glaring or just being Fran.

"I have to work with him?" Bel finally protested, jabbing a thumb at the deadpan male.

"Don't be unprofessional, senpai, we knew we'd have to work together at some point. Ne? Anyway, you've got a dreadful mop of hair. Shouldn't you clean yourself up a bit before you talk to the boss? Huh, senpai?"

"Shut up, frog, I never asked your opinion," the prince snarled, clenching his fist as he gave an attempt at looking scary. Xanxus heaved a sigh, and stood.

"You know what, trash? You've pissed me off. Get out of here."

Mist and Storm locked angry gazes once more, and Bel reached for the mission folder, but Fran grabbed it right as he came in, and the prince snorted in contempt, turning and leaving, with Fran following at a safe distance. "Let's meet up at seven tonight," Fran said in a voice just loud enough for the prince to hear. "That'll give us enough time to get to the K-point on time." K-point, in Varia terminology, meant the spot at which the assassins would take their target.

"All right, fine," Bel spat. "Just try not to be a brat to me on the mission." Fran snorted, and walked away from the prince, seething with irritation. That Belphegor really messed with his peace of mind, and he didn't appreciate it. Fran's mentality was a fragile composition- illusions and false information, lies and deciet, reality twisted into something so far from it that his world seemed like that of an alien. Fran hated the world- he hated humans, and what they created, and above all, he hated those snobby little rich kids that didn't know what to do with whatever and whoever their parents left them.

If it weren't for his false world, Fran might have become as insane as Belphegor. This was because he didn't feel right in his own skin. His face, and his eyes, they didn't seem to belong to him, and neither did the delicate, pale skin, or the bored expression he wore that he couldn't change if he wanted to. The only things that seemed right were those lavender markings stretching down from his teal eyes- the marks that had appeared when his world changed forever. Fran had memories buried inside him that he couldn't unearth. Memories from before his change that would never become a part of him. The distant, buried past was one that Fran wasn't ready to reveal. Not until his body and mind felt right again.

His world consisted of a very blunt and honest routine. First, he would wake up from a night of freaky dreams that Belphegor himself couldn't explain. Second, he would go and eat breakfast, forcing each bite of slightly overcooked food down his throat as he observed the usual antics of his teammates. Third, he would migrate into the living room, and read one of the books that his deceased teammate, Mammon, had written, and mull over the other's greedy words in his own mind. Fourth, he would eat lunch, once again forcing down every bite to the last crumb, knowing that he would not eat again until late. Fifth, he would meditate in his room, trying to dig up his past, or otherwise probe through his mind. Sixth, he would eat dinner, and force down each and every bit of food he could manage before going back to his room. At last, in his room, he would return to the world crazy enough to suit him- the world of dreams, in which he could recall his Master Rokudo Mukuro's words, and he could feel emotion- even if said emotions were as out of sync with the dream as everything else. The only thing that ever disturbed Fran's strict schedule were those gruesome outings that his boss referred to as _'assignments_,' or _'missions_,' in which Fran would be forced to part from his schedule to complete the designated task in a certain amount of time, before returning to the headquarters, and to his repeating, cycling life.

On the other hand, Belphegor lived by nobody's rules. He was the prince- composed of grace, beauty, and free will. His typical day, however, went something like this. He would awaken from a night of splendid dreams of being the top of the pack, giving orders, and eating ice cream. Then, he would move to the kitchen, and eat his fill of the delicious layout. Later on, he would lounge about in the living room and pester Fran, trying his very best to get a reaction from the deadpan face. If he succeeded in this task- which he hadn't yet- or simply grown bored, he would move on to Lussuria, bugging him for something sweet. At lunch, he would usually sit around and play with his food, for his frequent achievements in the grand sceme of getting Lussuria to give him food caused him to often lose his appetite. After lunch, he would skip back into the living room and play violent video games by himself, often losing the game due to his mind being elsewhere. The 'elsewhere' mentioned refers to his memories. Bel would very often remember the times that he would play video games with his good friend Mammon, paying the Arcobaleno a euro every fifteen minutes they spent together. But Mammon was dead now, and Bel, unusually, could accept that. People die in this world- that was a fact that Belphegor knew since long ago, and unfortunately, Mammon had spent his time. After playing games, Bel would show up, usually late, to dinner, and he might eat, but would often pass over dinner in favor of getting ice cream later. Then, he would shower, and move on to bed.

Granted, Bel marched to no clock, and would often switch his schedule around, while Fran stuck firmly to his own. Bel, however, was able to see reality as long as no outside factors (such as bloodloss) were acting in, while Fran couldn't see reality unless it was placed obnoxiously in front of him (as in the case with Belphegor).

Fran reentered his room to meditate for a while, his face serious, as always. After flinging off that dumb frog hat that a certain prince always forced upon him, he sat down on his bed, folded his legs, and placed his hands on his knees, then began to take deeper breaths as he went to the one hollow place in his mind. His thoughts blanked out, resulting in a peaceful quiet that Fran always loved to resort to. The illusionist's muscles relaxed as he focused solely on his breathing and on that silence that seeped over his entire being. The quiet place was one with which Fran had become good friends with. It was, after all, not just a quiet place, but a happy place. A place void of obnoxious princes, creepy pineapples, loud sharks, lightning perverts, feminine boxers, drunk bosses, and himself. A place where Fran was no longer Fran, and where he felt right with his body. Everything was so clear. Fran was absorbed in the vivid lucidity of meditation, and whenever he became like that, all other matters and worries took flight. He was overcome by his own peace of mind. It was the one place where he could escape to in times of need, the one thing that kept him bright eyed- if not so bushy tailed- in the morning, and which always welcomed him. It was the Promised Land.

"Hey, stupid frog, what'cha doing?"

_And Belphegor was not part of it._ Fran forced his eyes open, tearing himself away from his peaceful mind, and he hissed to see Belphegor in front of him. "Idiot senpai, what the hell are you doing in my room?" Fran snarled.

"It's seven o'clock, froggy," Bel snickered, folding his arms. Fran glanced back at his clock to see that Belphegor was right, and that, once more, he'd lost track of time while meditating. Nearly three hours had passed! Even so, this was no excuse for Bel to disrupt his sacred silence.

"Fine," Fran snorted, hopping off of the bed. He was about to leave his room, however, when Bel put his hand on his shoulder. "What now, idiot prince?" Fran questioned.

"You forgetting something, idiot frog?" Bel said, pointing to the discarded frog hat on the ground. Fran wanted to lose his temper right then and there, but his face, eternally stuck in that deadpan, would not allow it. The illusionist picked up the hat, and placed it firmly on his head, before looking back at Belphegor.

"Can we go now?" he muttered. The prince gave a wide grin in reply, and he and Fran set out on their assignment. Fran passed the mission folder to Bel, and the prince began to read up on their target's information, cheshire grinning all the way. The two of them moved into the Varia's garage, and played an intense game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would drive. However, after wasting five minutes with ties, Fran suggested they instead flip a coin. It landed on tails, and Fran got into his car. Bel reluctantly slid into the passenger seat, watching as Fran started up the vehicle, before rolling it out of the enormous driveway and moving along.

"So you do have a license, frog," Bel acknowledged.

"Nah," Fran answered. "Master taught me how to drive. Said it's just like making an illusion."

"How so?" Bel asked.

"Be a jerk about it, and no one will have the balls to bug you," Fran answered simply. Bel paused, confused, then shrugged it off, and turned back towards the folder in his hands. As Fran slid to a stop at a red light, the prince looked out the window, and he grinned to see, way off in the distance, a familiar building.

"The prince's old house is thataway~," he sang, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the castle. In favor of looking, Fran replied that he didn't care, and that mister-fake-prince ought to focus on the task at hand, to which Belphegor grumpily agreed. The prince eased into his seat, soothed by the easy drive that Fran created, and as he relaxed, he began to doze...

SCREECH.

Belphegor awoke with a start at the loud noise that he knew was one that meant death and possible explosions. The car had been turned so quickly that he would have flung out of his seat save for his seatbelt. The prince looked to his side, to see that Fran had his hands gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white, and he was trembling slightly, as if from shock. He was panting in slow breaths, a dangerous look in his eyes. Bel then glanced around, to see that the car had ended up in a ditch in the road, and another car in front of them was flipped over. "Fran?" Bel whispered. "Are you all right?" The illusionist glanced back at the prince, then gave a slow nod.

"Guy tried to run me off first," he said, "one look at him and I realized that he was our target. He should be finished now."

Bel shuddered, and opened the door of the car, the mission folder in his hand. He walked over to the flipped car, and peered into the window to see that the man had indeed met his match- the air bag. Bel immediately stepped back, and ran back to Fran. "We ought to get out of here," he said, opening Fran's door. "Come on, we can't get out of here fast enough." The illusionist nodded, and stepped out of the car, before said vehicle vanished before their eyes. Fran concentrated for a moment, and a new car appeared on the side of the road. Unfortunately, Fran didn't have time to make doors.

"Quickly," Fran said, running up the side of the hill and up to Bel. Prince and frog got back in the car, and sped off, promising each other that they wouldn't tell Xanxus about this less-than-brave success.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Please Review!<p> 


	3. What the Hell?

**True Self Chapter 3**

_A few days later..._

"Bel-senpai," Fran began, stepping over to the prince who was licking every last drop of ice cream from a bowl. "I have a question for you."

"What would that be, silly frog?" Bel asked, grinning widely at his kouhai. Fran hesitated, and sat down in the seat beside the prince, folding his hands and placing them on the table. He was unsure if Belphegor was the right person to come to; recently, his meditation sessions had been difficult for even him to comprehend. He could never calm himself completely, and if he did manage to go into that state, he couldn't seek anything out within his mind. It was as though a barrier had been placed over something remarkable- and Fran wanted to find out what it was.

"Have you ever felt... out of place?" Fran asked. Bel giggled.

"Only next to you, Fran," he snickered. "The prince fits in everywhere~ Cause he's a prince. And princes fit in everywhere~."

"I mean," Fran cut in, his voice a little more on edge, "in your own skin."

Bel paused, his expression falling. "In my... own skin?" he repeated. "No...?"

"I never felt at home in this body," Fran muttered, staring at his pale hand. "This skin... this hair... this face... None of it belongs to me."

Belphegor stared at the illusionist as Fran looked down, then broke into a grin once more, reaching out and placing his hand on Fran's shoulder. "It's okay, Fran," he said, his voice so smooth that Fran had to wonder if he'd accidently gone to his Master in a prince suit. "No matter how out of place, no matter how mismatched your mind and body may be... I will always be the prince, so you don't need to worry about me."

"You're a prince, huh?" Fran snarled. "Well, great for you then, you know what, senpai? I'M a prince, all right?" Fran suddenly fell silent, and reached up, placing his fingers over his lips. Suddenly, the dam containing his memories broke, and emotion flowed into his veins. Yes. Fran was the prince. That was it! Fran looked up, and broke into a wide, cheshire grin. "_I'M_ the prince."

Fran awoke with a start, reaching up and clutching his heart that throbbed wildly within his chest. As he slowly calmed, he lied back town on his bed, and closed his eyes, muttering, "Another damn freaky dream, huh? When is this gonna end?" The illusionist forced himself out of bed, and got dressed, before leaving his room. He and Belphegor had gotten considerably nicer to each other after their last assignment, but Fran wouldn't dare to admit it. He still hated Bel- he always hated Bel! Regardless, Fran knew the truth, and the truth was that he and Bel had gotten nicer with each other.

Their little escapade involving the car and the man inside of the car was one that they shared exclusively with each other. Bel would make an occassional snide remark about it, and Fran would sometimes threaten to take the prince on another ride. The accident had been a cheerful one, at least, and the tension they shared lightened considerably.

Just after breakfast, Fran moved into the living room, in which Bel was watching a video which appeared to be made by himself. "Fran, you're just in time!" he giggled. "Sit down!" The illusionist, being curious, whether he'd admit to it or not, obediently took the seat beside Bel, and watched as a sign- supposedly the title of this video- was held on the screed. It read, "The Adventures of Prince Belphegor- Part 1."

Fran saw, just for a moment, the flash of a small, chubby face, and realized that this video must have been made by a Belphegor of ancient times. "When did you make this?" he asked as the cameraman (Bel) snuck through the forest.

"I was ten," Bel answered. "It was just three years after that he died."

Fran didn't know or care who 'he' was, because he had a sense that he would soon find out. Young Belpehgor giggled in the same maniacal way as his current self, except with a higher pitched voice that sent a chill up Fran's spine. "Jill~!" called young Bel, "Come out come out wherever you are!"

"Look behind you, stupid!"

Bel whirled around, and he, or maybe just the camera, did a flip just in time to avoid the oncoming slaughter of a clump of dirt. "Jill, you ass!" the young prince cried, landing back on his feet or catching the camera. "I'm trying to make a movie!"

"Movie?"

The camera fell on the other speaker, and Fran's eyes widened to see another prince. Perhaps... Belphegor's brother? Fran was intruiged as he saw the two young princes poke fun at each other and tease in a playful, nearly innocent manner. And as Fran's eyes swivelled back, he saw that the grin on Belphegor's face at that moment, too, was innocent.

What had happened to that little, sweet prince? Where was he? Fran reached forward, and placed his hand over Bel's chest, causing the prince's focus on the video to break. "What's up, frog?" he asked.

Fran looked up, then slowly backed off, and looked back at the video. The two princes seemed to have found a pond. "Ushishishishi~ Lookit all the pretty tadpoles, Jill!" little Bel said.

"I dare you to eat one," said the other. Jill's hand dove into the water, and when he pulled out, a little, squirming tadpole was inside the palm of his hand. "C'mon, Bel, I caught it for you," he dared, offering the other his hand.

"I dunno about that, Jill," Bel sighed. "It's a baby frog, right?"

"Yeah, and we eat frog legs all the time, right?" said Jill. "This is gotta be safe."

"Ushishi~ If you say so," little Bel giggled, taking the tadpole in his hand. His current self clutched his head, horror written on his face as the younger's lips came closer to the wriggling, black creature, then, suddenly, a third voice joined in.

"Hey!" came the shout. "Put that little creature down!"

The two princes looked up to see a boy with teal hair and pale skin. "Who're you?" Jill challenged. "Mama frog?"

"No," the other answered. "I had a gift for a friend of my family's...," he said, sitting down on the other end of the pond. He carried a plate in his hands, one that was decorated with fresh fruit and cookies. The princes couldn't resist. They didn't care to ask the boy his name; instead, they ran up, and as Bel grabbed the plate from the boy, Rasiel shoved him into the pond. The two princes dashed off with the food in their hands, laughing insanely, and Belphegor turned the camera back to see the young boy getting up out of the pond, covered in mud, and starting to sob in misery of his lost gift.

Belphegor- present Belphegor- paused the tv, and looked at Fran, for he could no longer hear the movie over the sound of Fran's wild laughter. "Hahaha!" Fran laughed, miraculously keeping his deadpan even as he did so. "You two sure showed up that nerd! Hahahaha!"

"Gee, froggy, never knew you had a sense of humor," Bel snickered, grinning. "I thought you'd be pissed."

"Why?" Fran asked, starting to calm down. "That kid was a real dope, Bel, it's a good thing you put him in place."

Bel leaned over, and Fran was about to keep talking, when Bel's lips touched his own. The illusionist was too stunned to back out of it, but at the same time, the horror of this forbidden action made him painfully tense. Fran's mind was racing with both relevant and irrelevant thoughts, and his heartbeat defied his body's calmness by panicing. The Mist, however, also found that the action quickly stopped every one of his thoughts, and he had to stop himself from slumping into Bel and kissing back. Fran didn't know or want to know why Bel would do such a thing, but even so, he couldn't help but relax in this timid kiss.

Belphegor, however, couldn't calm himself for a second. He screamed in his mind for him to stop, to back off before Fran suspected anything. But he couldn't; Fran's lips felt too good against his own! See, readers, Belphegor was a very curious prince. He wanted to know everything, and on that day, it just so occured to him that he had never had his first kiss. The fact kept reappearing in his mind, tormenting him, and finally, it reappeared when Fran was in the room. How convenient it was! Bel could not hold back, thinking that Fran wouldn't mind, for he was also rather odd. The prince lingered in that position, with their lips meshed together in a sort of reluctant embrace, for an agonizing amount of time before he at last stopped, backing up slowly as if hesitant to do so. "Fran...," he breathed. "Uh... I should..."

"Senpai, get off me," Fran interrupted, his mind blank. As Bel settled back into his own seat, blushing slightly, Fran worked to calm himself. He did so suprisingly easy, and then realized that Belphegor had sent him into meditation by kissing him. The result was odd, but Fran was content with it, and the illusionist sighed, and leaned against the prince. Bel slowly wrapped an arm around him, and the two closed their eyes, each wondering what the hell was the other thinking.

-**End Chapter**

* * *

><p>O-O I still have one more chapter to write for weekly uploads... DX<p>

I'm on spring break, so expect more from me soon!

Please Review!


	4. Again and Again

**True Self**

**Chapter 4**

_A few hours later..._

Fran slowly opened his eyes, and he broke into a yawn, rubbing the material beside him. He realized that said 'material' was in fact his senpai, however, and he sat upright, reaching up and rubbing his eyes. "Senpai," he said, placing his hand on Bel's stomach and shaking gently. "Senpai, wake up."

"Mm...," Bel hummed, opening his eyes. Fran stared for a moment at the shining orbs beneath the bangs, but the blonde hair soon fell back into Bel's face, and the prince's stare was shielded from the world again. "Fran... ah, when did I...?"

"I dunno. I don't care," Fran mumbled. "Anyway, turn off the video now... I want to read." The illusionist reached over to the book on the table before them, but just before he could grab it, Bel took his arm.

"Fran," he began. "Just before we fell asleep, I think..."

Fran's teal gaze widened slightly as he, too, remembered what had taken place. He glanced back at Bel. "Look, I have no idea why you decided to kiss me earlier, and I'm not going to ask. All right? So don't make a fuss over it, and we can both forget it ever happened."

"Forget?" Bel repeated, his expression falling. "What if I don't wanna forget?"

Fran glared at him. "Then at least let me forget." Belphegor knew that Fran had a point. They hated each other, right? So that little kiss, no matter how nice it had felt, it didn't mean anything. Bel nodded.

"Yeah, all right, whatever," he muttered. Fran got his book, and sighed as he cracked it open to page 3,261. "Lessee here... Chapter Forty seven... Foods for the Illusional Mind. Oh, joy," he mumbled. Belphegor watched as Fran's eyes darted side-to-side as he read the book written by his passed best friend, and he smiled as he saw the softness inside Fran's gaze. However, he soon caught himself, and he shook his head to clear it, turning back to his own two hands. Realizing they were empty, the prince bit his lip, and instantly grabbed several knives from his pockets, breaking into a grin. He looked at Fran, and blushed lightly. Fran's lips had been so soft that they almost made the prince reluctant to stab him.

... _Huh?_

Bel shook his head wildly, then snarled at himself, thrusting a knife into Fran's side. "What's wrong, senpai?" Fran asked, pulling the knife out. "Frustrated at yourself because you can't forget the kiss and now you're growing on me and you don't wanna hurt my pretty, delicate face?"

"No!" Bel shouted. "I just hate you is all!" Fran's teal eyes swivelled back to gaze at the prince, and he grunted, clearly skeptical, but Bel was too pissed off to keep arguing. Suddenly, Lussuria swept into the room, gallant as always to face Fran and Belphegor's rivalry.

"Hey, dears!" he cried, clapping a hand to his cheek. "You kissed, hmm~? No worries, Fran-chan, Bel-chan," he said, before adding in a creepy voice, "I won't tell anyone about this forbidden relationship."

"We're not dating!" Bel snorted, folding his arms. "It was my fault, and it really didn't-"

"Ahh, so you made the first move, Bel-chan," Lussuria said with a grin. "How princely of you." Bel couldn't hold his blush. "Anyway! I want to know what the both of you want for dinner. It's the anniversary of the day that Bel-chan first joined the Varia, and since everyone else is out on work, I want to let the both of you have whatever you want."

Fran looked at his book. "I suppose I'll have pomegranate-pineapple mixed juice, and crushed mint leaves sprinkled over ham slices on spagetti with alfredo sauce and a scoop of chocolate ice cream and peanut butter on the side."

"Ice cream!" Bel announced. "I'll have ice cream plus whatever other desserts you can scrounge up."

"Of course!" Lussuria said, writing down the last of the orders on the palm of his hand. "Dinner will be ready by four. Until then, enjoy yourselves."

"No lunch?" Fran muttered as the Sun walked away. "Well, I guess that figures. Senpai, come with me for a sec." Both confused and curious, the prince followed Fran out of the living room, all the way back to his bedroom.  
>"Ushishi? What's up, Froggy?" Bel asked, folding his arms behind his head.<p>

"Kiss me again," Fran ordered as he sat down on his bed and folded his legs. "Last time, it made me relax."

Belphegor scowled. "Hell no. I'm a prince- why should I do what you say?"

"'Cause you enjoyed the last kiss and you want to prove it was only a fluke," Fran answered. Belphegor successfully suppressed his blush, and he came in, and his mouth met Fran's in a suprisingly gentle embrace. The illusionist closed his eyes as the soft lips welded into his, and he waited patiently for the results. Fran kept his hands firmly on his knees even as Bel touched his cheek and roamed his hands over the illusionist's back, because even though Bel was trying his best to be a prince, Fran had his dignity. But regardless of his pride, Fran allowed himself to kiss back against those lips, for it silenced his mind, and relaxed his muscles. The two kissed for a while longer before Bel slowly backed off.

"That good?" he breathed. Fran took a moment, then gave a tiny nod, and Belphegor patted him on the shoulder, before walking out of the room and closing the door. Fran, meanwhile, let his breathing completely die out with his calmness, and he felt inside his mind. It was all very clear on that afternoon, and Fran thoroughly enjoyed his own lucidity. Never had everything felt so empty before.

Fran looked deep inside his mind, and recalled a few memories that must've been important to what happened before...

_Flashback..._

_"Now, young one, look me in the eye and tell me that's the truth," Mukuro ordered, folding his arms. Fran blinked._

_"I'm telling you the truth."_

_"Fufufu, then we're one and the same," Mukuro chuckled. "Don't let anyone ever tell you you used to be different. As long as you know it isn't true, you'll be able to believe in yourself... and you'll become an exceptional illusionist."_

_Fran was able to see himself in the memory. He looked... a lot like that child in the video that Belphegor made..._

End Flashback.

Fran's eyes flew open, and he stood, then ran into his bathroom. He stared into the mirror, his eyes wide. Could it be that he used to be a total softy? No! Fran would never believe it. Besides, that kid didn't have those teal markings that Fran bore. Right, right, that was true. And he would remember a guy like Belphegor, right? Yeah, it couldn't have been him. Fran sighed with relief, but his heart was pounding already, and he knew that he couldn't go into meditation without feeling Bel's lips again.

Fran cursed himself for sounding dependant on the kiss of the prince. He didn't need Belphegor to enter a state of meditation! Although... he did recognize that he was too worked up to do so at the moment, so he walked out of the room, going to head to Lussuria for a potential appetizer to dinner.

On the other side of the base, Belphegor was also heading towards the kitchen with a clouded mind. He was pissed off about the second kiss that wasn't meant to happen. How could he let Fran push him into another kiss! The prince bit his lip, embarassed, then stopped walking for a moment. He reached a hand up, and touched his index finger to his lip. He could hardly believe how good a tiny little kiss could feel. He could almost still sense Fran's lips against his own...

"Senpai? What's up? You rubbing your lips because you're so desperate to kiss me again? That figures. You're such a pervert, senpai."

Belphegor stiffened as a hand landed on his shoulder, and he whirled around. "O-of course not!" he shouted. "I'm hungry!"

"So you're eating your fingers? That's not healthy," Fran snickered, walking past the prince. "Come by again tomorrow after lunch and kiss me again, all right?"

The Storm wanted nothing more than to call the illusionist an idiotic peasant and stab him for suggesting such a thing, but all he could manage was saying, "Sure." He and Fran entered the kitchen, and Lussuria glanced over at them.

"Appetizers are on the table," he said, smiling.

Bel and Fran sat on opposite sides of each other, and simultaneously reached for a french fry. As they proceeded to eat their fries in sync, Lussuria clucked to himself, resting his head on his hands. "Those to are quite similar, ne?" he mused.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Merp.<p>

Please Review!


	5. Gathering Information

**True Self**

**Chapter 5**

_That night..._

_Their lips met for the umpteenth time, and at last, Fran was convinced to join in. He kissed Belphegor with as much emotion he'd ever had, then, as he backed up, he whispered, "How damn beautiful you are... heh, just like myself, eh, Bel?"_  
><em>"Yeah," the prince agreed. "When you see the similarity in our faces, it's just too obvious that this is the way to go... Ushishishishi."<em>  
><em>"Usheshesheshe..."<em>

"Damn it!" Fran cursed, sitting upright. "I'm not a freaking maniac, so I need to stop acting like one!" He smacked himself three times, then two more for luck, then got out of bed, and got dressed in a hurry. He left the room, still a little pissed off about his dream. It was time to start scoping out information. It was still three in the morning, but Fran was already aware of what he needed to do. He slipped into Bel's room without making a sound, and walked over to the closet. How he knew didn't matter- he just felt it. He took the tapes out a drawer, and snuck back out without waking sleeping beauty. He walked on to the living room.

Fran pushed a tape into the VCR player and sat down, watching in silence. He watched through what he had already seen, then observed the rest in silence. After Bel and his brother had thrown that young kid in the pond and taken his little gift, the movie changed to another one. "Episode two," young Bel hissed into the camera, "my pet mink." The prince moved the camera over to a small bed, in which a sleek white animal slept with its silky, fluffy tail over its nose. Fran realized that the little animal looked just like the current prince's box weapon, and he smirked. That's where the attachment must've begun. "Isn't he cute?" Bel giggled into the camera. "Named him Prince, after myself. He knows a couple tricks, too. Ne, Prince... wake up..." The mink gave a small growl and stretched, before staring at Bel intently. Belphegor pointed the camera at an overly fancy bed a distance away. "Go bite Jill." The white animal bounded over to the bed and jumped on it, and shortly after, there was a loud, pained squeal, and Belphegor laughed as his brother sat upright.

"Damn it, Belphegor! Can't you just sleep like a normal person?" roared the older prince, throwing Prince back at the young blonde. Belphegor caught his pet in his arms, and stuck his tongue out at Rasiel.

"Watch your animal abuse, Jill," he giggled. "Good boy, Mink. Good boy," he cooed, stroking his pet with a grin on his face. The animal crawled over young Bel's shoulders, and the prince laughed, making Fran sigh. As adorable as it was, the illusionist wasn't currently intrested in Belphegor and his pet. He wanted some more information about the maniacal prince who was no more. But just as he reached out to take a hold of the remote, a hand covered his own. He looked up to see a transparent being, a man dressed in a black cloak, wearing a large hood that covered his eyes. A gentle glow surrounded him.

"Who are you?" Fran inquired.

"My name is Mammon," said the phantom. "Fran, this has to stop."

"Now you're haunting me, too?" the illusionist protested. "Not cool, man."

"I'm serious," Mammon muttered. "You need to stop. What happened between Bel and his brother is a tabboo subject. It's best that you don't go nosing around in it any more than you already have. It will only hurt the both of you."

"What do you mean?" the teal-haired boy questioned. The ghost came in, and reached up, holding Fran's head in his hands.

"Fran, in the place where I am now, I see everything. I know everything. But I can only share certain things with mortals. Listen closely, now. Belphegor has a tender heart- don't look at me like that, it's true. Bel's hardly sane as it is."

"Pfft. He's not sane," Fran chuckled.

"Listen," Mammon hissed. "Bel's mentality is at stake here. If you probe too deep and strike a nerve, he will turn on you in a second. Belphegor needs friendship more than anything, and you're the only one who can help him. If you're going to uncover the truths of what happened between Bel and his brother, you can't let him find out, or he'll collapse."

"What about me?" the younger illusionist protested. "I'm doing this to discover myself, I don't care about him."

"... Turn that off, and come with me," Mammon said, before walking away. Fran quickly pressed stop on the VCR player, then ran after Mammon. The older illusionist led him back into his library, which the younger did make frequent visits to. The phantom pointed to a book, and the teal-haired boy took it off its shelf, then read the title.

"Prince the Ripper," he said. "So what, I do my research on the prince, and then everything will turn out all dandy?" he complained. The phantom, however, had already vanished. "Huh. That guy's lucky I like to read," Fran sighed. He headed back to his room.

The Mist guardian of the Varia opened the book as soon as he got back on his bed. "... _There were two princes named Belphegor and Rasiel. They were forced to share everything- from looks, to voices, to the royal throne. They would bicker about it frequently, often resorting to name-calling, or petty-theft of each other's belongings. But one day, the younger twin, Belphegor, had had enough._

_Using the set of knives his father had gifted him, Belphegor plunged his weapon into Rasiel's chest, and carved his heart from his body. Drenched in his brother's blood, Bel reached up high, watching the blood drip down his own arms, and he screamed in ecstasy, crying, 'I am the king! I am the one who will take the throne! I, Prince Belphegor, am the winner!'_

_And king he was... for about ten minutes. Then, his family found out what he'd done, and he was banished from the kingdom. And so, with tiara held high, Belphegor ran, and ran, then, one day, found an organization called the Varia. They'd heard of his natural killing instincts, and took him in. There Belphegor stayed for the rest of his life..."_

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.**

Fran drowsily opened his eyes, then sat upright. It seemed as though he'd fallen asleep reading. "Froggy? Got a minute?" came the regal voice from behind the door. The Mist quickly hid his book under the covers, recalling the words of last night's phantom, and hopped off his bed. He opened the door for the prince, and he blinked. The Storm looked as though he'd run all over the place before coming here. Perhaps he'd gotten lost.

"What is it, senpai?" he asked.

Belphegor took a couple steps forward, then reached out, placing his hands on Fran's shoulders. "You're alive," he breathed.

"Yeah. Have been for a while now," the illusionist agreed. Bel sank down to his knees, still breathing heavily, and he reached into his pockets, then took out knives by the handfuls. He spread each one out over the stone ground, then took off his Varia coat and took every last knife out of it as well. "Senpai, this isn't the time for an inventory check, it's six in the morning," Fran complained. Belphegor looked up at the younger man with dead serious eyes.

"I'm never going to stab you again," he declared.

"Huh?"

"Never," Bel repeated. "All right? N-E-V-E-R."

"I can spell, senpai, I went to school for a few days," Fran muttered. "Are you just here to educate me, or what?"

"I had a dream last night," the prince replied, his voice shaking. "And I don't want it to become reality."

"Oh? Did you miss or something like that? Something embarassing? So you don't want to be embarassed in real life?"

"I killed you."

The illusionist froze. He'd never seen the prince sound so scared about something in his life- unless, say, they were running out of food for dessert. He knelt down, and touched Bel's shoulder, breathing, "It's all right, senpai. I don't think that would ever happen." The prince shook his head.

"No. It can't happen... that's why," he sighed. "Fran... I... you're..."

"Spit out the beans, fake prince."

"You're important to me..."

Fran quivered, feeling a chill course through him. Belphegor, Prince the Ripper, a royal lunatic was now calling him important? To think Bel could be so tsundere! But more importantly was the echoing words in Fran's head, urging him to save Belphegor from snapping. The illusionist leaned in, and touched his lips to Bel's, making the kiss as soft as he could. The intimacy was suffocating as the prince leaned in to him, even reached up and embraced him. If a little nightmare had put Bel in such a position, Fran wondered how the prince would react to the little invasion of privacy written down just a few feet away. "Senpai," Fran cooed, holding Bel's face in his hands. "It's just a dream."

"I know," Bel sighed. "But it almost felt like a vision of the future."

The prince was wrong. It was not the future he saw, but the past. How he had unknowingly killed Fran along with his brother. How he had etched those lavender markings into Fran's face with his blade. How he had twisted the innocent young boy into what he was now.

It was all his fault.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Yup, this is where it starts getting twisted. Just wait for it and be patient, this is meant to confuse you.<p>

Please Review, SINCE NO ONE DID LAST WEEK!


	6. Falling for You

**True Self Chapter 6**

_The next day, after lunch..._

Fran allowed the prince to come in close, then closed his eyes as the soft lips met with his own. Every time, it felt so right to be this way, even though they were bitter rivals. If this was what Mammon meant by comforting Belphegor, the young illusionist was just too happy to comply. When he slipped into this meditation that was so deep, it was almost euphoric.

"That good?" Bel breathed as they parted.

"No, one more," Fran replied, reaching out and placing his hands on the prince's shoulders. They enjoyed one more small kiss, then parted, fearing the consequences of more. "Thanks," Fran mumbled, "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Fran."

"Call me froggy."

"... Bye, froggy."

There was one reason alone that Fran did not want to be called by his name. 'Fran' didn't feel like his name- it never had. So instead, he decided, he'd let Bel call him bye a nickname. At least, then, he didn't get that odd feeling in his gut from being called someone he didn't feel he was. The illusionist sighed as the prince walked out of his room, then sat back, thinking hard. Why was he uncomfortable in his own skin? Why was it so painful? The questions whirred about in Fran's complex mind, until at last, there came a memory from before.

_"Fran, hun? Is dinner ready yet?"_

_"Just about, Grandma!"_

_"You're so sweet. After dinner, would you do me a favor?"_

_"Yes'm?"_

_"Go on to the neighbor's house. Give them this. They have been so kind to us."_

_"Yes, Grandma."_

The illusionist bit his lip until it bled. _No_. That was not him. That was another Fran. Another boy with teal hair. Another boy with a feminine voice. Another boy with pale skin and seafoam green eyes. It was another side of himself. A side that had been swallowed up by the current Fran. Right, that boy was dead, and he'd never come back. 'Why' was a question that the illusionist secretly feared answering. He shuddered as a chill ran up his spine. To think he used to be that annoying little kid! It was embarassing beyond belief.

"Fran," said a rasp of a voice. "Read."

The illusionist sighed, breaking his concentration, and he snorted at the phantom before him. "Mammon," he greeted, curtly.

"Read the book," Mammon ordered, pushing Fran towards the pillow that held beneath it a book on the prince. The younger illusionist snorted, and grabbed the book, before opening it to page twenty-six. "Where are you?" the phantom inquired, floating towards the younger and looking over his shoulder.

"Here, I'll read it aloud," Fran muttered. "'Chapter three- Metempsychosis. Some people say-'"

"This is good," Mammon said with a smirk. "Pay close attention here." Fran rolled his eyes.

"'Some people say," he continued, "that when Rasiel died, his hatred and fury made it impossible for him to move on. These people suggest that his soul took claim of another body, and he possessed the nearest being, then went on to live within them.'" The former Arcobaleno beside him nudged his cheek, and chuckled.

"Get it, Fran?" The teal-haired boy snorted and closed the book on Mammon's face, sighing as the ghost didn't move.

"This is dumb," he muttered. "Only an idiot would consider the possibility of a ghost possessing someone." The phantom sighed and vanished, and, after a while, Fran got back to the book. "'It is said that Rasiel does not know how to move on, that he doesn't even know that he's in a new body. Apparently, he lost all of his memories when he transferred...'"

Fran's complex, delicate web of intricate lies of memory could not bear the thought of a phantom prince possessing people. Even though the illusionist could handle the little flies he'd caught in his web here and there, he couldn't handle the bird that had flied through it. His web broke down, and as the illusionist tried desperately to rebuild his web, he found it to be twisted and messy, unlike the gentle, octagonal pattern that once was. His world was temporarily destroyed, and he had to work hard to try and repair it. The frantic defense mechanism was too difficult for his poor, fragile mentality to withstand, however, and Fran allowed his mind to shut off.

He passed out.

"Froggy? ... Hey, froggy, are you all right?"

Fran opened his eyes in a daze, and sat upright, then leaned in and hugged the prince tightly. "It's all crashing again," he mumbled into the prince's ear. Belphegor blushed, and hugged the Mist back.

"What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Senpai, I'm going to go insane," Fran began, slurring his words as he tried to recover from his mental breakdown. "I don't know what to do..."

"Kiss me."

It was the only solution Bel could think of. He brought Fran close, and tried to soothe the trembling form as he kissed the illusionist. He'd never seen Fran in such a state before, and he found that seeing this side of the illusionist wasn't so bad. In fact, he rather liked it. He held the illusionist close, and rubbed his back, but he soon backed up, and he murmured, "Fran, what happened?"

"N... nothing," Fran lied. "Bad dream. Really bad dream."

"Did I die in it?" Bel asked in a shy tone. The Mist rolled his eyes.

"Okay, it wasn't that bad," he muttered. The prince stood upright.

"Fran-"

"Froggy," Fran corrected. The Storm gave a nod.

"... Froggy, as much as I hate to admit it, you've been growing on me lately," the prince murmured. "This was supposed to not mean anything. All of it... but it does, to me. I, the prince, am starting to fall in love with you." The teal-haired young man held his jaw open in shock, but Bel got up and left before he could give a wise crack retort.

Moments passed with Fran sitting on the bed with that stunned expression, until Lussuria at last came over to his room and peered into the open door. "Fran, dear?" he murmured. "Are you all right?"

"Bel just... what?" Fran mumbled, cocking his head. "What are you here for, mister sunshine?" The Sun sighed, and came in, then bustled Fran out of the room to take him back to the kitchen for dinner.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Eh... slump... big slump... need to get out of it...<p>

Please Review...


	7. Twisted Mind

**True Self**

**Chapter 7**

_The next day..._

Fran and Belphegor sat in the living room beside each other, an awkward silence dominating the buzz of static on the tv. Fran flipped absently through a book on real illusions that Mukuro had sent in the mail, scanning through it for something intresting enough to distract him from the throbbing of his heart. It wasn't long, however, before Bel couldn't take the tension. He wrapped an arm around the younger man's shoulders, murmuring, "You cold?"

The illusionist shook his head, and gently pushed the prince back. "Sorry, senpai... I'm going through a lot of crap lately, so..." The prince bit his lip, and looked at the book in Fran's hand.

"Real illusions, huh?" he chuckled, grinning. "You should learn how to make one of me." Fran blinked, and a copy of the prince walked over and smacked Bel, before vanishing. "Eh- N-not bad," Bel laughed, rubbing his head sorely. Realizing that Fran wasn't even going to look at him, the prince sighed, and crossed his legs, saturated in his own boredom. He stared at the teal-haired illusionist for minutes at a time, his cheeks painted red whenever Fran simply blinked or turned a page. Now that the prince had come to terms with his own affection, he couldn't help himself from reacting to the illusionist, even though he recognized that Fran currently did not feel the same way. "Uh, Fran," he began, "Whatever you're going through, I want you to know that you can share it with me."

"Huh."

* * *

><p><em>The next morning...<em>

Fran awoke very early to find himself outside, lying in a patch of what appeared to be snapdragon flowers. He groaned, sitting upright, and he gripped his forehead. "Gah, how'd I end up out here?" he wondered aloud. "What gives?"

"Fran."

The illusionist looked up, and sighed as he saw Mammon. "What is it now?" he muttered, standing.

"You know, snapdragons were Rasiel's favorite," the phantom answered in a snide tone. "We're going."

"What? Going? Going where, exactly?" Fran protested. Mammon led him into the garage, and ordered him to get in the car. Fran slid into the seat, and he was directed by Mammon to go to a place where he'd never been before. As they drove towards what seemed to be the ruins of a castle, Fran mumbled, "You're as crazy as senpai himself."

"No. _You_ are," Mammon responded. He left the car, and Fran followed, his eyes glinting with annoyance as they got closer. They soon stopped in front of a broken cabinet, to which Mammon pointed. The illusionist groaned, leaning in, and he parted the broken doors, then picked up a dusty, old, framed picture with a crack across the glass. Belphegor and his brother, arm in arm for perhaps the only time in their lives.

"Why did you bring me here?" Fran asked.

"It's about time you woke up, Fran," the ghost answered, picking up a rock, "or should I say... _Rasiel?"_

* * *

><p><em>A while later, in Varia Headquarters...<em>

Belphegor pushed open the door to Fran's room, murmuring, "Froggy?" The prince stepped inside, and walked over to the rumpled bed, then sat down on it. He folded his legs, sighing, and he closed his eyes. Almost immediately, a chill ran up his spine, and he peered over his shoulder, before reaching under the pillow and taking something hard out from beneath it. It was a book, and the prince quickly discovered that it was about himself. He frowned. "Fran, this isn't something you should be reading," he commented, before walking out of the room. He moved on to the living room, lit the fireplace, and tossed the book in. As he watched the destructive orange tongues licking up the pages, destroying them. Destroying his past.

"There is nothing Fran needs to know about that prince. The other prince is gone. I killed him. And Fran will not bring him back into my life, no matter how hard he tries." The insane prince leaned back, frowning, and he didn't relax until the deadly flames had completely destroyed the book. It was soon after that the front door could be heard, and the prince headed towards it, and soon saw Fran, looking at him with big, teary eyes. "Fran...?" Bel murmured.

After being broken once, the complex web that Fran had spun himself frantically tried to repair itself, but, like a broken heart, it grew back twisted, and corrupted. Even more so, it grew back weak. The poor, young illusionist now bore the mind of a madman. And the pain of the mind that barely held him together was more than even he could bear. He was done. He would have no more of the foolish lies in his head. For the time being, he would have no illusions. Fran leaned up, and when he met Bel in just one more kiss, he could almost feel the blood pulsing through his lips. The realization slowly emerged. What Mammon had said to him, the book, it was all starting to come together to form a big idea. A strong idea. The overwhelming discovery took Fran by suprise, and he slowly backed up, trembling. "Senpai..."

"Huh...?"

"I'm not Fran," whispered the illusionist. "I'm not the one you love..."

"Shishishi? Then who are you...?" Bel asked, forcing a cheshire grin.

_I'm your brother._

It hit Fran like a train. He was not a Varia. He did not belong here. And even as he tried to get the confession across to the spirit whose body once destroyed his own, he found the pain too strong. What would Bel do should he find out? Would they ever kiss again?

He had been possessing the body of the sweet boy down the road for years now, and he never knew. As if he had been clunked on the head with a club, he entered Fran's body without any previous memory of his death, or of the prince who caused it. It was all true. The dreams, and the books, those were only lies to the phantom prince's insanity. But now, Rasiel remembered. Belphegor was his brother.

The pain was unbelievable. A man who he'd begun to interact with in an affectionate manner... turning out to be the one who had brought forth his end. Rasiel couldn't stand the grief. He was in love with someone who used to be his brother. But that was just it- used to be. Fran slowly began to calm down. Bel didn't need to know. Bel loved him back, right?

"Senpai, I love you," Fran said in a flat voice. Bel paused, then grinned widely, laughing, and he swept in, hugging Fran tightly.

"Love ya too, Froggy."

As they embraced, Fran began to remember their past together. How violent they were, and how relentless some pranks grew to be. Once upon a time, two twin princes hated each other. But years later, they were reunited as lovers. However, Rasiel noted with a hint of glee, Belphegor was only his brother in mind. Never again were they to be brothers in body. As such, the older prince decided, there was nothing wrong with using the body of the trapped, sweet young boy a little longer.

"Rasiel, this isn't right," hissed a voice in his ear. "I've been searching out your spirit for years. You need to let Fran go."

Knowing he could give his reply telepathically, Rasiel thought, _'Fran's weak. He won't survive here, in the Varia. He needs me.'_

"You're minds have been merged thanks to your weakness," Mammon growled. "There's Fran, the sweet boy, and there's you, the maniac prince. But since you've possessed him, there's been a third mind. A sick combination of your personalities. I refer to it as 'Froggy,' the corrupted soul. The Fran Belphegor knows was never meant to exist. Rasiel, you do not love your brother. The sweet boy, the original Fran, does. His mind and yours are entwined even as we speak, and you need to sever that bond."

"Froggy," Bel began, prodding the other's cheek. "You're spacing."

"Sorry, senpai," Fran apologized, standing upright. He took Bel's hand, and the two headed back to Fran's room, one smiling, the other with his usual deadpan.

_The next morning..._

When Fran awoke the next day, he found that he couldn't think straight. In his mind, the words 'get out,' circulated, and he sighed, realizing that the half of him that loved Belphegor was trying to rebel against him. He sustained a mental battle with the other mind, and soon managed to expel it from Fran's body, leaving only Rasiel in it's wake. He rubbed his head, somewhat confused, then looked at Belphegor, who slept beside him, and grinned widely.

"Usheshesheshe," he laughed darkly. "To think that I actually thought I loved this loser."

"Back off!"

Rasiel looked up, to see the phantom of the young mind he'd done away with. "Get away from Bel-senpai!" protested the young, ghostly Fran. Rasiel sat upright in the other's body, and gave a wide grin.

"Go cry to your grandmother about it."

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Ah, crap crap crap, this isn't making enough sense! *bashes head against wall* This isn't good enough, right? I've kept you all waiting for TWO WEEKS! *insert a line in Gokudera tongues here* Anyway! *wipes blood off of forehead* This story, as mentioned when it was previewed on my profile, is possibly THE most screwed up B26 out there. *nod nod*<p>

Please Review!


	8. Insanity of the Illusional Mind

**True Self**

**Chapter 8**

Belphegor awoke the next day feeling groggy and frustrated, but, as usual, he had no idea why. He looked beside him for Fran, but the teal-haired boy was no where to be seen. The prince sighed, hoping that the previous night's conversation hadn't been a bunch of lies, and he started to fix himself up for work.

As he did so, he was completely unaware of the fact that someone was sitting on the bed beside him: someone who couldn't be seen. A young phantom, with a hazy recollection of the past thirteen years. This phantom's name was Fran. He had been so lost for a long amount of time, just getting glimpses of his life. But now, he was back, and without a physical form. Even so, Fran swore to get his body back from the one who had possessed it.

Oddly enough, Fran also was completely lacking in his ability to leave Belphegor's side. He felt the overwhelming, overpowering urge to stay with Bel, and protect him. The young mind stayed beside the prince, walking behind him, sitting next to him, and smiling whenever he did. The love was evident.

Through his hazy image of his life, the face of the prince flashed within his mind, and he knew. All of the horrible pranks Belphegor had played alongside his brother didn't matter, because Fran knew that the prince was really an innocent child trapped in an insane loop, and the knowledge of that compelled him to protect the prince instead of shunning him. He felt as though if he were to try and understand Belphegor better, he might have a chance of the prince someday returning the love that he already bore for the false mind of Fran.

"Morning, Froggy!"

Fran was instantly on the alert as he saw the man in the kitchen. The one who wore his body like its own, stealing it away from its true master. There were no more lies holding the delicate balance between those minds in place. Now, there were only two. Rasiel, who possessed the body of the other, Fran. The real Fran, whom we shall refer to by his name, stood beside Belphegor, protecting him, while the false Fran, whom we will call Rasiel regardless of his Fran-like appearance, now seeked to destroy the prince.

"Fran, leave them," said Mammon, walking over and taking Fran into his arms. "Rasiel won't attack Belphegor. Not yet. Come with me." The younger spirit gulped, and followed behind the Arcobaleno, taking a hold of the dark cloak to enable a small sense of security. Mammon took him into a hallway, and placed his hand on the wall, feeling along it. After a while, he muttered, "Press here. You're stronger than me since your body isn't exactly dead," Fran did so, and, as all cliche secret rooms, the walls parted to reveal a passage behind them. "Come," Mammon ordered, striding inside. The wall closed behind them, and Fran trembled as he saw the large room, books stuffed in shelves that went up to the ceiling.

"What is this place?" Fran whispered.

"It's my secret study," Mammon answered. "Look, Fran. You've been feeding on Rasiel's spiritual power this entire time. You do have potential as an illusionist, but only a sliver. Rasiel doesn't have any potential illusionist skills, but when combined, your insane minds make a pretty good illusionist."

"Insane?" Fran protested.

"Nevermind that, Fran. There's a ladder over there," Mammon said, pointing. The young spirit headed over, and asked what he should do. "Start climbing," the illusionist answered. Fran did so, and soon came up to a midpoint, where the illusionist told him to stop. The Arcobaleno used what little power he had as a phantom to move the ladder along a while, and he slowly came to a stop, before floating up and pointing to a book titled 'Deathperation.' "This is filled with the basics. How to channel your energy into flame, how to identify the strength of your flame... All of that is in this book. Once you've read this, we'll move on to creating illusions, using illusional power, and we'll bring you and your fragile little human mind back to its former glory. Listen closely, Fran. All illusionists must go through a horrible change before they know the insanity of creating lies and deciet with their minds. Mingled with Rasiel, you had gone through a remarkable change. Your mentor, Mukuro Rokudo, would've turned out a sweet man had he not been tortured with experiments as a child, which is why he became twisted and dark. I lost the one I loved, and that caused me to become insecure. Desperate, almost. I turned to dark magic. Since you've hardly gone through any change on your own, it's going to be hard for you to understand illusions like most of us do."

"I'll do my best," Fran said, bowing to the phantom.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

"Ushishishi~," Bel giggled, taking the seat beside Rasiel. "Froggy up and left without telling me anything. Prince was kinda worried. Ne?"

"Yeah, whatever," the other sighed. "I was hungry."

"Shishi~ Fair enough. At least give the prince a kiss?" the prince requested, grinning. Rasiel closed his eyes, and accepted the action, but he didn't even come close to returning it. The result was a pouting, but satisfied Bel. "Awful dismissive today, eh, Froggy?" he murmured.

"Ah, to be honest, this whole deal isn't quite sitting well with me," Rasiel said, leaning against the table as he gazed at Belphegor. "You see, I recently realized... you're an insane maniac and you don't deserve to touch me," he hissed in a low tone. The prince glared. "Not to mention, your narcissistic, mean, and just plain stupid."

The prince was hurt, but at the same time, enraged. He stood upright, shoved a knife all the way into Rasiel's shoulder, and marched out of the room, nearly steaming with his pain. Lussuria stepped out of the kitchen, worried, and walked over to the possessed Guardian. "Fran, hun, what did you say to Bel?" he murmured.

"Nothing important," Rasiel replied, grinning.

Lussuria scowled when he saw the odd expression on the usually deadpan face. He knew that something was wrong with the beloved Mist of the Varia, but he couldn't quite place it. What had happened to Fran?

-**End Chapter**

* * *

><p>^^' I totally see why no one reviewed last week, but remember! The more you review, the easier it is for me to get these chapters up!<p>

Please Review!


	9. To Cleanse the Spirit

**True Self**

**Chapter 9**

_The Next Day..._

Fran was sitting in a chair, reading 'Deathperation,' holding out his hand and trying to focus. In his current form, there was no chance of a flame emerging. However, Fran was determined to increase his power to the maximum before he challenged Rasiel for custody over his own body. His spiritual willpower was already very strong, but he still needed to work on it, because he knew that, as things were, creating an illusion of any sort would be impossible.

He was a weak young man, but he knew that Belphegor's life rested in his hands in every serious way. If Rasiel should take revenge on his maniacal brother, the whole Varia- all of Fran's sort-of friends might go down as well! More than anything, Fran didn't want it to come to that. He wanted to protect the prince at all costs. Even... even if it cost him the life he'd barely lived, he would take action to protect the one he loved.

"How's the reading coming along?" Mammon asked, his face grim.

"Good... I guess," Fran answered. "I don't understand all of it about finding my resolve."

"Don't worry," Mammon answered. "You already have it. Your resolve is your willpower to protect Belphegor." The teal-haired boy blushed lightly, and smiled.

"I'll do anything for him," he whispered.

Mammon grinned. "That's all I needed to hear. I've got a vessel for you, kid. But you're going to have to work for it. Deal?"

"Yeah," Fran agreed. The Arcobaleno took Fran by the wrist, and teleported. The illusionist gasped as he was taken through intangible space, before dropped in a dark room. "Huh? Why's it so dark?" Fran asked.

"We're on the other side of the planet. It's nighttime here."

"But... where?"

"Japan," Mammon said. "Hush now. See the man in that bed?" Fran followed the pointed finger, to see a man with blue hair in the aforementioned bed, sleeping peacefully.

"Who's that?"

"That's your master, Rokudo Mukuro. He's as much of a twisted man as you were when your mind was merged with Rasiel's. Don't feel guilty about this, all right? We're going to have you temporarily posess him so that you can hone your Mist flames."

"My mist flames?" Fran repeated. "Or his?"

"Yours," Mammon confirmed. "Even in his body, the willpower belongs to you. Now, I'll very rapidly expel his spirit to make things easier for you. When I give you the signal, make a run for the empty vessel."

"I don't know, Mammon... isn't this kinda... morbid?"

"Not at all," the Arcobaleno answered, striding up to the bed. He placed his hand over Mukuro's face, and muttered a quick incantation, and the body began to glow dimly, before a spirit rose from it. Mammon glanced at Fran, and nodded. The younger man quickly went up to the body, and he found himself drawn into it, like a fly to the light. A moment of dizziness, and he opened his eyes. He gasped, feeling remarkable strength course through his body, and he sat upright.

"W-woah," he groaned, blinking several times. His right eye was a little hard to see through, but his left eye's vision was spectacular. Even at night, he could see the room as if it was day. He slid out of the bed, and stood upright, then quivered. He was tall!

"Hehe! Come on, Fran, I know you're just fascinated by your Master's power. But we need to head back to Italy."

"Excuse me." The two turned to see Mukuro, or rather, the phantom of, and the older man strode forward, his eyes angry. "Fran? What reason do you have for this unusual intrusion?"

"Uh... Well, Master," Fran said. "Bel's brother has been possessing me for years... and I need to use your body in order to become strong enough to fight against him...," the younger explained. Mukuro frowned.

"I see," he sighed. "Well, I admit, you have an entirely different aura than I recall. I suppose this can't be helped... Pity, though... I thought you were more like myself. At least allow me to watch over you as you... -ahem- 'use' my body." Fran gave a bright smile.

"Thank you, Master!"

There was a momentary silence, before Mammon said awkwardly, "Don't use that innocent expression on his creepy face." Fran blushed lightly, but didn't drop his smile. "All right, we need to get back in Italy, now, we're losing time. Mukuro, can your body take teleportation?"

"Considering I've been to Hell and back, I think I can take it," Mukuro chuckled. The two phantoms each took Fran's arm, and they teleported once more, arriving just outside the Varia headquarters.

"Okay, let's hurry on in to my study, before anyone finds us," Mammon sighed. The two slipped into the base, and started making their way through it, but they heard the small humming sound too late. As Fran, in Mukuro's form, rounded a corner, he ran into Lussuria, who was on his way to make breakfast.

"My, Mukuro-chan! What a pleasant su-" The younger man quickly covered Lussuria's mouth with a gloved hand, and he turned his mismatched eyes as he groaned.

"Lussuria," he whispered. "Listen. You can't tell anyone I'm here, all right?" The other gave an indecisive nod. "Good. Now, listen. I'm here to take back my lover. Okay?" Lussuria's face quickly flushed, and he nodded once more. "So you understand why I need to go undetected?" The other man continued to nod, before reaching up, and pulling the other's arm down from over his mouth.

"You don't need to worry, Mukuro-chan," he cooed. "I won't tell a soul."

With that, the Sun began to bustle back on down to the kitchen, and Fran smiled after him. "Boy, what a freak," Mukuro muttered.

"I think he's pretty nice," the younger man replied. The three continued on to the wall that bore the secret, and were soon back in Mammon's study.

"I'm going to go pester Rasiel, all right?" the Arcobaleno said. "Mukuro, you've taught this child once, I'm sure you can do it again."

"Yes," Mukuro agreed. "Fine by me, Arcobaleno." The older illusionist left, and Mukuro stalked towards Fran, his eyes hungry in a way. "Fran," he sighed. "You have gone from a dark illusionist... to whatever you are right now. I'm fascinated. But interrogation will come later. In the mean time, focus on the darkness in your heart." Fran tried to do so, but there wasn't really any darkness in him. That was when he was reminded of the body he was in, and he shed Mukuro's jacket, the phantom watching curiously, before he also took off the shirt. "Fran, open heart surgery is not what I was talking about," Mukuro said, his voice slightly raised. Fran looked down, observing the scars that ran across Mukuro's body, and the ghost shifted slightly, getting a little worked up. "Fran," he said in a warning tone. The younger man looked up.

_"What happened to you, Master?"_

Suddenly, a white light enveloped the two, and Mukuro gasped, closing his eyes. Somehow, Fran's innocent little soul was... in a way, cleansing his own. The wounds of the past no longer mattered. The illusionist no longer cared about his abuse as a child. About the experimentation done on his fragile body, about the wounds inflicted whenever he tried to fight back. It didn't really matter. That wasn't part of who he was _now_, right?

Fran, meanwhile, took a hold of the light, harnassing it like a horse, and he took it back towards him, before creating a powerful illusion of Belphegor. Realism and animation were flawless, and that was when Mukuro made his biggest discovery about Fran's resolve. "Fran, you little soft hearted pansy!" the illusionist exclaimed. "You take the darkness in someone's spirit, purge it, and then use the power of their fear! This is truly briliant. Fran, a hell lot of Mafia have this darkness, and I'm sure Rasiel is no different. I don't need to teach you a thing, really!"

"Well, I'd like to learn control...," Fran protested, sighing.

Mukuro smiled, and embraced the other.

Every scar that Mukuro Rokudo had ever sustained was gone.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p><em>Please<em> Review...


	10. Step 1: Failed

**True Self**

**Chapter 10**

Rasiel sat on his- Fran's- bed, drawing out the scheme he had so carefully concocted in his mind down in a notebook. Belphegor had a mind not unlike his own, and as such, any knife cuts Bel were to make, his brother could predict. And so, Rasiel had a massive plan. The first attack would happen that night. Rasiel would fix his hair up all nice and princely, then, since its color didn't matter in the dark, he'd take the knife that his mutated 'Froggy' self had secretly taken from Prince the Ripper. He'd sneak into the room of Bel's most beloved- or, second most beloved- and cut and cut and cut a little more. The plan was perfect. Belphegor would be punished, and Rasiel would be avenged.

Oh, but not quite yet. No, there needed to be more. If the younger prince was merely scolded, no, that simply wouldn't do. Attacking Squalo was just the beginning of Rasiel's brilliant plan. After that, Rasiel would make even more problems. He would cut up Bel's clothes, and humiliate the younger by slipping Lussuria's uniform into his room instead. The coat would be large, fluffy, and smell just right for everyone to notice. And maybe Bel wouldn't, even! The humiliation portion of Jill's plan would be appeased. Next, the older prince would steal Xanxus's pistols, and hide them in Belphegor's room. The punishment would be severe. But if Bel wasn't killed there, there was still more in the plan. Rasiel would, while hiding Xanxus's pistols in his brother's room, steal several knives, and once the pistols were found, he would stab himself repeatedly, before making a dramatic show of crawling to Lussuria on his stomach, whimpering with pain. He'd describe Belphegor's attack flawlessly, and then, without a doubt, Bel would be killed for treason.

It was the perfect plan.

Rasiel headed out that night to Squalo's room, knife in hand. His hair was swept in front of his face, and he already had the voice down to a science. "Ushishishishi~," he laughed, lacing himself into the bed as he leaned over before Squalo. "Strategy Captain, Squalo...," he giggled. "Prepare to be destroyed..."

The prince in a frog's body attacked Squalo mercilessly, but was suprised to find no screams, or even counterattacks. He sighed, and after doing his work, he slipped out of the room.

In the far corner of the room, Fran bit his lip, massaging his sore chest. "Sorry, Master, you're going to ache a bit when I give you back your body," he murmured.

"It's all right," Mukuro sighed. "If that shark doesn't feel the pain of those stab wounds, Belphegor can't be punished for them. Here, now, just use the power from that pain in order to heal Squalo's body. Fran concentrated hard, and soon, the shark's sleeping form began to heal itself at a rapid pace. By time he was finished, Fran followed his Master's phantom back into Mammon's study.

The next morning, Rasiel stalked into the kitchen, cleverly wearing the 'Froggy' deadpan. He slid into a seat, and folded his hands, waiting patiently for Squalo to show up. "Fran, dear?" Lussuria cooed, walking over. "Do you... need anything?"

Rasiel looked back up at Lussuria, and growled, "Get back in the kitchen. Can't you see I'm-"

"! HEY, BABIES!" Squalo screamed as he barged into the room. Rasiel's deadpan was lost as his lips drew back into a cheshire grin. "I FEEL

AMAZING TODAY!"  
>Rasiel frowned. 'What?' he wondered. 'Where are the stab wounds?'<p>

"LUSSURIA!" Squalo shouted, running up to the chef and grabbing him by the collar. "Did you sneak into my room and heal me up or what?"

"Um...," Lussuria hummed, before suddenly being cut off as Squalo gave him a sudden and fierce kiss.

"That's for healing me!" he yelled, before kicking the Sun guardian to the ground. "AND THAT'S FOR SNEAKING INTO MY ROOM!" he roared.

"Thanks, anyway," he growled. "I'm going out right now to kill someone with this extreme energy I have! Tell the boss I'm out!"

Lussuria gradually picked himself up from the ground, flustered. "My! Squ-chan's a darling, but I wish people would stop assuming that I'm the cause of their good health and doing things like that...," he cooed, a hand on his quickly reddening cheek. "I suppose this is what makes up a good team, though, ne, Fran-chan~? Even if I'm not doing anything..."

"I don't get why you're so proud of something you didn't do," Rasiel spat, standing up. "You're like one of those pretty little boys who are just desperate for attention... Except for one thing. You aren't pretty." Lussuria stood, confused, as 'Fran' stormed out of the kitchen, clearly furious about something.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Lussuria huffed, returning to the kitchen and looking into a small mirror he took around with him. "Besides, that's not true," he mused, his eyebrows creased. "I'm gorgeous."

"Luss!" Bel called, running into the kitchen and throwing his arms around the Sun's waist. "You will not BELIEVE what Fran just said to me!"

Lussuria turned, and sighed, stroking the prince's hair. "Easy, Bel-chan," he murmured. "I believe something's wrong with your dear Fran, hun, would you believe that?" Backing off, the prince looked up at Lussuria.

"What's wrong with him?" he murmured.

"I don't know, hun," Lussuria sighed, looking away. "I don't know."

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Sorry. Very short this week... I'm quite low on reviews, don'cha know. For the last more-than-three weeks, I've had one review- thank you, SBB.<p>

Please, if you still follow, take the time to review.


	11. Step 2: Not so Great

**True Self**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

><p>Rasiel sat on the bed in his room, hissing to himself. "How did the plan manage to go awry?" he muttered. "My perfect plan..." He leaned back on the bed, still shocked by the incident, and he looked at the next step: to shred Bel's clothes and replace them with Lussuria's. He thought for a long time, wondering how the plan had gotten out of hand. Did something interfere? But <em>how?<em> Suddenly, a thought emerged. What if... what if that little Fran kid had somehow managed to get involved in the plan? What if he hadn't been stabbing Squalo at all? The older twin grinned.

_Impossible_.

"I suppose some things just aren't meant to happen," he sighed to himself. "But this next step... will be flawless for certain."

The next night, Rasiel stepped out, and headed to Bel's room, slipping inside with ease. It seemed as though the younger prince was out on a mission. "Usheshesheshe!" Rasiel laughed. "See, this is most definitely meant to be." He walked over to the prince's dresser, and looked at the many clothes. Belphegor's taste hadn't changed. Every item that wasn't a uniform was striped, most of them purple and black, some red and black, the younger prince was adorable with his general 'cheshire cat' theme.

Rasiel took all of the clothes - pants, shirts, and underwear alike- out, and walked back to his room, tossing the clothing on to the bed to deal with later. He then headed to Lussuria's room, and snuck in. To his suprise, running water indicated that the older man was taking a shower.

_So perfect._

The older prince walked up to the Sun's wardrobe, and opened it, then started to look through it. He quickly came up to what he was looking for. There was a big coat lined with orange fluff that got particularly bushy around the collar. And to Belphegor, it was long enough to nearly be a dress. It was definitely the perfect plan. Rasiel snuck the coat out of Lussuria's room, and placed it in Bel's closet, before walking back to his own room to take care of Bel's clothes.

"Does kind of bum me out," he snickered. "You're style isn't as dumb and immature as the rest of you." He then took the knife that was hidden inside his closet, and he began to tear apart the clothes, his face evil. "You're such a little punk, Bel," Rasiel hissed to himself. "You'll see. Trying to take my life... now I take yours!"

After tearing each individual piece of clothing to fragments, he threw the torn clothes out on the living room couch, where no one would find them until morning- when it was already too late. He then returned to his room.

"Can you handle this one, Fran?" Mukuro asked. "An illusion of this much fitting together-"

"Master," Fran interrupted, smiling, "I can sew. But I need string."

"Let your prince humiliate himself," Mukuro instructed. "Then take away all of his embarassment and use its power to mend his things back together."

"But they'll definitely see me...," Fran sighed.

"Hey, Fran," Mammon cut in. "Where I am, I know everything. Belphegor will take the clothes back to his room. It's all right for you to make your move in front of him. Just tell him that you're a temporary replacement for something important."

Fran slowly nodded. "Okay, Mammon..."

CLICK.

"Quick, we need to get out of here," Mammon said, grabbing the young one's arm. "Belphegor has returned."

* * *

><p><em>Morning...<em>

Belphegor stretched and yawned, then got up, and took a shower. He loved hot water. Afterwards, he walked over to the closet, and opened a door, but... there were no clothes in it. He twitched, then opened another door. And another. He found one pair of boxers - thank _goodness _- and in the last drawer he opened, there was a large coat. The prince scowled, and put it on, somewhat pleased that it went past his knees, covering his almost feminine thighs.

The Storm guardian then, as most of his kind, stormed out of his room, still getting the last few buttons on the shirt together. He did quite like the warm, soft fluff around the collar. That part was nice. As he entered the kitchen, however, he got quite an unusual greeting. "Oh, Bel-chan!" Lussuria exclaimed, his cheeks reddening. "So YOU had my coat!"

"Your... coat?" Bel repeated, tugging on the collar. He took a deep breath and a rather masculine rose scent hit him hard on the face. "Oh... oh, jeez," he muttered, before starting to freak out. "YOUR coat? What the hell was your coat doing in my closet, huh? And where are all of MY clothes?" the prince raged, blushing beet read.

"HAHAHAHA!" Squalo roared with laughter. "Bel, I can't believe you're wearing Luss's coat! HAHAHAHA!"

"What are you playing at, dumb trash?" Xanxus said, a smirk on his face. "You look like a clown."

And 'Fran' sat there, a broad grin on his face.

Belphegor quickly found his clothes, and recovered them, taking them back to his room, where he, too, experienced an odd sight. Mukuro Rokudo was sitting on his bed, smiling at him. "Uh... Mukuro?" Bel greeted, walking over and setting his clothes on the bed. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Don't tell me you're the one who did this to me."

"Oh, no, not me, Bel," the illusionist answered. "Come closer." The prince, feeling an odd sense of familiarity, approached the other, and Mukuro put his hand on the Storm's chest, taking a few breaths in and out. "Feeling better?" he asked. The same moment he asked the question, Belphegor felt an intensely good feeling relax his nerves. All of the stress and embarassment he had felt dissipated in moments, and he closed his eyes as he felt the other sliding Lussuria's oversized coat off of his shoulders. "Bel, I'm not who you think I am," the illusionist murmured. "As of right now, I am merely a replacement for someone more important to you."

"Replacement?" Belphegor repeated. 'Mukuro' nodded.

"Right now, you can't get close to Fran, all right? For your own safety, remember me, and remember that patience is all you need. You're going to be fine."

"... Okay," Bel whispered.

SNAP.

The prince glanced back up, and saw the other holding a spool of thread; one long string of it had just been severed. A needle seemed to appear out of no where, and the replacement got to work. Bel watched in amazement as each piece of his clothing was flawlessly sewn back together, leaving not even the tiniest trace of injury as it was pieced into its original form. "Mukuro, you can sew?" Bel inquired, suprised.

"Oh, no, senpai, I told you, I'm not...," the disguised Fran started, but he soon caught himself, and got back to work.

"Talk about some gorgeous needlework," Mammon snickered. "I should've known the kid could sew like my grandmother."

Beside the Arcobaleno phantom, Mukuro smiled. "Really and truly a softhearted child," he sighed.

The two watched as Fran mended the prince's clothes without him even knowing, and they smiled.

_Not even Rasiel would be able to break this up._

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Seriously! More reviews! Thanks so much to <em>reapercate!<em> I appreciate it, really. Reviews power this account, you know...

*****this was posted a day early because I will be at orchestra festivals all day tomorrow.

Please Review!


	12. Step 3: Backfired

**True Self Chapter 12**

Rasiel gaped as Belphegor bounced out of his room, dressed in his own clothes. How was it possible? Just moments ago, he had seen the younger twin run back into his room, fragments of clothing in his arms. Something was definitely wrong. It had to be Fran. All doubt left Rasiel's mind. Fran was involved. No question.

But even as he thought that, Rasiel found that he didn't really care. Fran could do a lot of things to mess up his plan, but there was no way he could foil the next step. Xanxus was out with Squalo, so...

The possessed Fran left the hall he'd been staying around, and soon found the forbidden doors into Hell. He grasped the knob, slowly, dramatically opening the door, and he slipped inside. Suprisingly, no foul rotting-corpse scent hit him, nor did the stench of blood, alcohol, or... other things. In fact, in this room, there was an odd, pleasant scent hanging around. Rasiel grinned. It was probably thanks to Squalo. He began to search through the closets, around the dressers and the bed, when he realized that Xanxus was on an assignment. He had his pistols with him!

Rasiel gulped, then ran back to the door, only to find in horror that it was locked. He started banging against it and shouting for help, completely unaware that outside the door, Mukuro, or rather, Fran, was feeding off of his fear and making the door soundproof.

"Huh? Mukuro?" Bel said, walking over. "What are you doing outside boss's room?"

"I have a message to give him," Fran chuckled, gesturing for Bel to come down. "Remember... I'm not Mukuro."

"Right...," Bel said, a little awkward. "You know he's on a mission, right?"

"Mm hm," Fran agreed. Bel reluctantly continued on, and Fran stared after him, smiling. He blew a kiss at the prince when Bel wasn't likely to turn around, and he continued to smile, before leaning against the door again. "Sorry, Jill. Being my other half for years is not an excuse to kill the one I love."

Later...

"VOI, DAMN BOSS! NOW I'VE GOT BLOOD ALL OVER ME!" Squalo protested as Xanxus let go of his wrists and backed away from his kiss. The boss was smirking, but the swordsman, flustered, wasn't even close to amused. "You ought to go into your room and take a shower, all right? THEN I'll do whatever." Xanxus playfully pushed the Rain's shoulder, making him stumble back a little, before he left. The boss headed into his own room, but when he got there, as he opened the door, he found his room a mess. It seemed as though a small tornado had hit, and Xanxus didn't appreciate it. Even so, he assumed it was just Lussuria, trying to sniff out romance again, so he walked over and began to close doors.

Then, it hit him. The feeling of being in a room with another person, and Xanxus's instincts were flawless in that manner. He tore the sheets off of his bed, and found a trembling, clearly frightened Fran. "X-xanxus," Fran said, grinning. "I... I was just..."

Xanxus whipped out a pistol, and aimed it at the illusionist. At first, his wrath was incredibly powerful, but it quickly cooled for reasons Xanxus himself didn't know. He found that he didn't have the urge to murder the brat. Not this time. "If I hadn't wasted so much damned time looking for a decent illusionist, you'd be dead already. Get the hell out of my room, trash," he muttered. Fran bolted from the room at full speed, and ran straight back to his own, lying down on his bed as he tried to calm down.

"That was scary," he growled to himself. "Time for the next step."

And so it was...

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Sorry, everyone! Really short chapter this week. School ended this week, exams were done, and I've been spending my time with a few friends. Reviews will help along with the next chapters, and the length of.<p>

Please Review!


	13. Sacrifice

**True Self**

**Chapter 13**

* * *

><p>Rasiel sat on the bed, a knife in his hand. "All I need to do is stab myself a few times, and Bel will definitely be killed. I'm sure of it," he said to reassure himself. But in fact, he was not so sure of his plan. Bel had stabbed Fran - Froggy - many times before, and Fran had neither reacted nor cared. Wouldn't he look like a bit of a fraud if he pretended to care all of a sudden? No, no, he thought, trying to shake it off. He poised the knife to cut his own arm, but just as he made the slash, a hand locked around his wrist. He glared to his side, finding Mukuro Rokudo, staring at him in a menacing way.<p>

"Don't put marks on other people's bodies," he muttered.

"Usheshe! I could say the same to you," Rasiel started, before pausing. "You aren't Mukuro."

"No, Jill, I'm not," Fran replied, before grabbing the knife and throwing it on the ground so that he could claim both of the prince's wrists in his own. He pinned Rasiel down, noting with disgust how Rasiel secretly kept the ruler-straight teal hair swept over his eyes. He carefully brushed the bangs out of Jill's face, revealing the bloodlustful teal eyes beneath. "To think, your malice and my benevolance could actually equal the absence of emotion. When you consider it, it's really quite fascinating. But you know, Jill... on our own... we don't do any good."

"Usheshe! Fran, I'm seeking for the good of the world. That shadow of mine is nothing for us to care for. Think about it, Fran. Has Belphegor ever brought anything relatively 'good' to this life?"

"He can do this."

"Do wha- mmf!"

Rasiel flushed red when the other's lips fell on his, and he struggled, before slowly melting down and closing his eyes in submission. It was the last mistake he could make. Fran took advantage of him, using his weakness to slip inside his mind. But Rasiel quickly noticed it, and he started to fight back. As their lips parted, their minds merged, twisting together, until it left the teal-haired body with its old, hybrid mentality. Fran sighed, and sat upright in his own body, before gasping as he saw the empty vessel left behind- Mukuro Rokudo's body.

"Damn...," he cursed, holding his head. Everything was cloudy all over again. His web had returned, and he didn't appreciate that. He rubbed his forehead, confused. He forgot it all. What happened? Who was he?

It was all gone.

"Ugh... uff...," came a groan from beside him. The soulless body of Mukuro Rokudo gasped with breath, and its owner looked up into Fran's eyes, breathing a little lightly from the transition back into his body. "Fran? Did it... uff... did it work?"

"Huh? M... Master?" Fran murmured. "God, I have the worst hangover. What happened?"

Mukuro looked up into Fran's eyes, and found that they were blank once more. Emotionless. Void of any expression whatsoever. "Oh, no...," Mukuro whispered. "Fran... you're..."

"What is it, pineapple?" Fran muttered. "Ugh... what are you doing here, anyway? I mean... it's Varia headquarters... right?"

Mukuro took Fran's face in his hands, about to explain and force Fran to remember, when he remembered what Fran had said earlier.

_'On our own, we don't do any good.'_

Fran had known! The real Fran understood that neither he nor Rasiel's spirit could survive on their own! Mukuro stared deep into the teal eyes, and hidden within them, he saw some sort of masked understanding. Fran had sacrificed his life to keep Rasiel hidden within it. The poor, sweet boy may never have a normal life, but even though that was so, he was also keeping the malicious prince from attacking the one that Fran loved.

Mukuro was both touched and disappointed. "I'm sorry," he murmured, placing a gloved hand on the other's shoulder. "I'll leave now."

He slowly stood back up, and left the room, the Varia's illusionist looking back at him in confusion.

'Damn it, Fran, you can't hold me forever,' came a thought from the back of the Mist's mind. Fran's lips quirked up into a now rare again grin, and he muttered, "Yes I can. Until death do us part, Jill. Frankly, I'm a little flattered. It's like I'm holding Belphegor's life in my mind. That's why I'm never gonna lose control of you again."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

Mukuro stood before the phantom of Mammon outside the Varia headquarters. The two were engaged in silence, staring into each other's eyes, waiting.

"Thanks for trying to help out," Mammon whispered. Mukuro gave a solemn nod.

"No one could say we didn't try," he added. "And it was such a worthy cause."

"I guess it was," the Arcobaleno replied with a sigh. He walked over, and placed his hand on Mukuro's shoulder. "If you ever, ever find a way for Fran to have his life back, please, make it happen."

Mukuro nodded, and the two of them parted ways.

* * *

><p><em>Prince the Ripper's room... 5:00 PM that day...<em>

"Bel," Fran greeted as he entered the prince's room.

"Eh- Fran?" Bel said, yanking the covers of his bed over his body and hiding beneath them like a child. "What... um... What do you want?"

"It's okay," Fran reassured, sliding on to the bed. "I'm not going to hurt you. Not now."

"... Fran...?" the prince murmured, peeking his head out from under the covers. He saw before him the man he loved, his straight hair framing his face ever so beautifully, with the slim form curled as he slouched slightly. His hands were folded together in his lap, his legs crossed, and his lavender markings as they always had been. This, before him, was Fran. The real Fran, he was certain. And so, with that in mind, the prince called, "Froggy?"

The pale face turned to look at the prince, and Bel's heart, which had been thudding in his chest, now stopped completely.

_Because even though this was definitely Fran..._

_That face was too sad for it to cheer up the prince._

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p><strong>Even though I'm ready to wrap it up, this story is not over until I say 'owari.'<strong>

Slump. That's what they call it. I've made a little inference that since people are on their phones and reviewing has become harder, some opt to not review at all - thank you to reapercate, Son-of-Beyond-and-Blood, and Bloody2Illusion6. You three are running the story as of right now, and if you were to request some things, I guess I might be able to make those happen. Haha... hahaha...

Yeah. It's a slump.

Please Review.


	14. Byakuran

**True Self Chapter 14**

* * *

><p><em>Darkness.<em>

Enveloping, suffocating, strangling darkness. Swirling, torturous, disgusting darkness. It's everywhere. Every shadow cast by the light is darkness. Every dark room and space is darkness. It takes up all. Controls all. Rules all.  
>It hurts.<p>

_Pain_.

Suffering, spiraling, sickening pain. Pain is there as the shadow for every touch of pleasure. Pain is darkness. Pain takes up all. Controls all. _Rules all._

_I am darkness._

_I am pain._

Rasiel was stuck in this dark, painful realm of his mind, quivering inside the dream. Where was Fran? Were they having seperate dreams regardless of the fact that they were sharing a vessel? Could that be so? All around him, some sort of hard, high pressure was suffocating him. He felt like he was being exorcised, strangled in a spiritual manner. His entire body seared with pain, and he writhed around in the black space, angry. Where was Fran? He should also be experiencing this torture!

_Hush, little Rasiel-chan._

The prince paused, looking around. Who's voice was that? The darkness around him seemed to harden like cooling lava, and Rasiel was able to reach out, touching a black wall. The wall cracked, and from it came a sharp, painful ray of light, brighter than the sun, harsher than fire.

_Light._

Destroying the enemy of all good. Destroying darkness as the light pierces it obnoxiously. Shining on and through material and space as it is produced by some sort of remarkable energy. Banishing shadows to other dimensions and slicing the black in half with white. The polar opposite of what Rasiel had been experiencing. It was just as cruel and harmful as the darkness, however, with it's unforgiving brightness.

And so, pain left the darkness, and became the light.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

Fran stood in a place that seemed remarkably nice to him. Birds could be heard singing in the background, the ironic croak of frogs in some nearby water source, and in the center, the highlight, was a nice, old, oak tree that Fran childishly longed to climb. But something was weird. This place was... pure. It was nice. Shouldn't Rasiel be screwing it up? Fran quickly realized that of this moment, he was himself, free to do as he really wished. He wasn't the sickening hybrid of light and dark. He was just Fran.

"Fran," came a small voice that Fran immediately recognized. He blinked and found Mammon leaning against the oak tree, gesturing for him to come close. The young illusionist headed over obediently, and leaned against the tree, standing beside his second illusion master. "Rasiel is going to go away now," he said.

"Huh? But... how?" Fran asked.

"A man has come to revive Rasiel's true body. He's been watching you for ages, Fran," Mammon said. "And after witnessing the occurences between you and Rasiel, he has found that prince's potential. Rasiel's body lies in a grave miles from here. When he is awakened by this man, whose name is Byakuran, he will have no need for your body. So he's going to stay away from you and Bel. I think it will be a few years before you see him again."

Fran looked away. "Byakuran, huh? He can revive Jill?"

"Mm hm," Mammon said, deciding not to express his reluctance at hearing Fran use Rasiel's nickname. "You're going to be able to be with Bel now, Fran."

"Really...?" Fran breathed, thinking about the prince. At last, he and Bel would be together for real. He smiled. "And I thought it wouldn't get better."

* * *

><p><em>... Two years<em> before this Story began, a man named Byakuran saw a boy with unusual teal hair and eyes. Innocently curious, he followed the boy, and soon saw them meeting with a man with blonde hair and a cheshire cat grin. Byakuran frowned. He had hoped that this young man would join him, as he had sensed the power that clung to the illusionist like the hat he wore. But something was still off. _Terribly_ off.

He searched files in his database, seeking out information on this kid, and soon enough, the message clicked. Belphegor and his dead brother, the brother whom had died mysteriously on the same day Fran began to experience _'excruciating headaches that eventually calmed, leaving him a hollow shell of what he had once been.'_ Before anyone else discovered it, Byakuran made the realization that Rasiel and Fran had merged minds. He was fascinated, and he continued to watch Fran. Even as his own men were being taken down, he observed Fran through cameras that monitered every move of the Varia. He got information from every possible source, and he eventually discovered that these two great powers together could possibly take him down as they were. He concluded that they needed to be separated.

And so, Byakuran made it his business to get word out to the only one he knew would do something about the matter. He hacked into countless computer systems to get a hold of Mammon, the Arcobaleno ghost who had been guarding the Varia for years. At last, Mammon approached him, angry at his countless attempts to infiltrate the system. At first, Mammon didn't know who he was, which Byakuran was greatly thankful for. But he got his point across, and Mammon swore he would separate those minds, not knowing that he was destroying an opportunity that would take down the most powerful man on the planet.

Byakuran watched as Fran and Rasiel separated, but he pouted to discover Rasiel's thirst for vengence as he stole that innocent body. Now, he needed to return Fran to his own body and get a hold of Rasiel. After all, it seemed that little Fran was helpless on his own, while the other maniacal prince character was bloodthirsty, and just the type of person Byakuran needed in his force. And so, with the help of his various abilities, things fell into place.

And it was time to claim his reward.

As he heard Rasiel's screeches in the darkness, he tapped the barrier that prevented him from accessing Rasiel's mind. What he found was a black hell, and the spirit that writhed helplessly within it. He smiled. "Hush, little Rasiel-chan," he cooed. A few more skillful taps around that spiritual barrier, and his bright, white room was flooded with Rasiel's darkness. Byakuran looked around, uncertain for a fraction of a second, then used his remarkable powers to purge his room of the darkness, leaving behind light that he was unaware was torturing the prince before him. He knelt down before the trembling, blonde aristocrat, and reached out his hand. "Now, Rasiel-chan. Your body lies over here."

"My body...?" the spirit coughed. "My body is useless. It's dead. The heart will never beat again. Hell, it's barely ten years old."

"Fufufu~," Byakuran giggled, smiling brightly. "Just come with me." Rasiel was led to the couch, in which a motionless body, the body of a young prince - no, the body of a young king - lied. Byakuran snapped his fingers, the heart began to beat inside the previously dead chest, and Rasiel was immediately drawn back into the vessel. For the first time in years, the bloody-red eyes flashed open, and the body quickly aged with Byakuran's power until it was the appropriate strength for Rasiel's mind. "I helped you, so you ought to help me back. Join me, Rasiel, and we'll take care of that silly little prince brother of yours," the white-haired man tempted. Happily suprised, Rasiel grinned almost ear to ear.

"Yes, my Lord," he replied.

* * *

><p><em>The next morning...<em>

Fran sat up, feeling a remarkable pleasantness in his mind. Lucidity and a clearness like water, he was no longer filled with mist. However, as he held out his hand and concentrated, a bright, crystalline form materialized in his hand, proving that he still had his illusions. But something was different about it. The realism of this illusion was much different from the almost insane things he used to think up. He was remarkably strong minded, and his illusions were just steps away from being what Mukuro referred to as 'real illusions.' He stood up on the bed, and walked over to a mirror. As he gazed into the glass, he found that his once bright and rather obvious markings were much less obvious, not passing his eyelids. He smiled. "There goes a touch of corruption, hm?"

Fran then left the room, and made his way towards Belphegor's room. But as he walked up to the door, he paused.  
>"What can I say to him?" he murmured.<p>

"Fran?" Lussuria murmured, uncertainly stepping towards the illusionist. Fran turned to him, and sighed, holding out his arms. The feminine man paused, then, as soon as the offer clicked, he swept Fran into his arms. Before he'd separated from Rasiel, he would have groaned and shoved the other back. If it had only been Rasiel, his malice would have actually repelled the flamboyant Sun, and if it had been with their merged minds that knew each other, they would have had a little mental battle, before pushing the Sun away. But Fran, simple, pleasant Fran, with his kindness, found the older man's embrace to be warm, soothing, almost motherly. Almost immediately, Fran started hugging back, burying his face in the overly fluffy collar of the jacket Lussuria wore.

Realizing roughly what Fran was in need of, Lussuria led the young mind away to the kitchen.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

><p>Ahh... Bummer. Feels like I'm going to have to end this with a relatively low amount of reviews. But hey, c'mon! I made it non-AU, and I think that's pretty darn impressive.<p>

Going to AX this weekend. See you soon!

Please just try to review!


	15. Emotion: Epilogue

**True Self**

**Chapter 15**

* * *

><p>"Fran, forgive me if I'm asking too much here," Lussuria began as he placed a cool glass of water on the table. "But something has definitely been odd about you for the past few weeks. May I request to know what that has been going on?"<p>

"Sure, Luss. I trust you," Fran answered, closing his eyes and nodding. He took a drink of the water, and decided that he'd make Lussuria's day, since Rasiel had been such a jerk to him. "You're like the mother I never knew." Lussuria's eyes grew wide beneath his sunglasses, so Fran decided to continue. "Thanks for all you've done.

Cooking breakfast, trying to give advice even when no one would listen, and healing almost every wound we sustain. Lussuria, if it weren't for you, what would the Varia be?" As the Sun fell quiet, hardly even breathing, Fran gave him a soft smile, and eyes filled with emotion. "Listen close, because I don't think there will be another golden opportunity for you to know what's been going on. Bel-senpai's dead brother, Rasiel, has been possessing me since a very young age. I never knew. My mind became warped and weird, concealing my messed up feelings to keep me from the world. This was the Fran you knew."

As Fran told his entire story, Lussuria remained quiet and intent, nodding as appropriate. And as Fran closed his tale, the Sun guardian's eyes were moist with tears. To see how far love had brought Fran, and how the young, innocent mind had attempted to sacrifice himself, then seeing how strong the illusionist was now... how amazing, the older man thought.

Six years before this story began, Lussuria joined the Varia. He was the romantic type - adventurous, fixated on the tiny things in life that came together to make a story like no other. It was a beautiful cycle, life was. But the Varia were mostly disdainful of his cheerful demeanor. Even with his seniority as a person, he was more or less just tossed around, told to go here and there. He felt like a dog.

And then, little over a year after Lussuria had joined, Belphegor came in. The prince was hardly shy. He took control of his person, not scared to tease even Squalo, one of the biggest leaders. He only backed off around Xanxus - everyone else was a plaything. But then, Fran came along, and a change took place in the prince. He grew more serious, stopped combing his "gorgeous, princely hair," and began to stab things as an occupation rather than a hobby. However, Lussuria could see with ease the haunting fact that Belphegor did not turn this way with hate, but in fact, he changed as he grew to love Fran.

Bel was a twisted creature, after all, and his sense of love was like his sense of listening - it was seriously malfunctioning.

"Fran, dear," Lussuria began, reaching up and wiping away the wetness that had accumulated in his eyes. "You've really matured. You're an amazing young man. And you must know that Belphegor loves you very much."

Fran smiled back at the Sun, and stood upright. He murmured, "But I don't know how to approach him."

"Approach him with love, Fran, with love," Lussuria replied. "Bel needs love more than anything right now." Fran took a moment, then gave a slow nod.

"I understand," he murmured.

And he did.

* * *

><p>A while later, Fran stood once more in front of the door to Belphegor's room, but this time, the shyness had left him. He turned the knob, and pushed the door open for him, before letting himself into the prince's room. Bel lied on the bed, still asleep, so Fran walked up to the bed, and slid himself on to it. "Beautiful senpai," he cooed, rubbing the prince's cheek with the back of his hand. "Gentle senpai..." He began to stroke the prince's hair, watching as the prince's soft expression quivered as he struggled to stay in his dreams. Fran leaned down, and the moment his lips touched Bel's cheek, the prince's eyes opened beneath his bangs.<p>

"Froggy?" he murmured.

"No. Call me Fran," the other whispered, his breath warmly creeping over the prince's ear as he spoke. "It's all okay now, senpai."

"Fran... then... you're all right?" Bel asked, his expression a little worried.

"I'm wonderful, senpai," Fran hushed, taking the prince's head in his hands. "I'm so wonderful right now, being here with you." The younger man came in, meeting his lips to the prince's, and somehow, things were much different this time.

It was no longer a battle, nor a lustful display.

_It was a kiss of emotion._

Their lips melded together as if they were meant to be this way, and there was no involvement of the teeth or tongue, just the soft and delicate link between them that carried a powerful bond within it. They were lovers - through these feelings, it was so obvious. And as Fran slowly parted from the one he loved, he murmured, "I love you, senpai."

"I love you too, Fran," Bel breathed. "But... why were you so mean earlier?"

"Senpai, there are some things I don't think you should know," Fran sighed, lying down beside the prince and embracing him. "Just remember that everything is all right now."

Bel fell silent, and just rested himself within Fran's warm embrace, closing his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. And Fran knew that those were spoken to the ones who had saved Fran - the real Fran. Byakuran, Mammon, and Mukuro, had all contributed to the parting of Rasiel's mind from the delicate web that made up the false Fran. No, now that Fran was himself, he promised to himself that he wouldn't show anyone his completely weak side, that he would remain a good illusionist for the Varia, so that they would keep him and Bel would be happy. He decided to reclaim his veneer not as a lie or disguise, but as a safety precaution against the evils of the world. He was Fran again.

* * *

><p>Ten Years <em>after<em> this story began, the Varia were still strong. Fran and Bel fought side by side, playfully nipping at each others nerves while in secrecy they remained intimate. Lussuria held his tongue about Fran's twisted past, and was rewarded as he watched the blossomed Fran become even more beautiful. Mammon rejoined the team after being revived by the Sky Arcobaleno, but he, too, never spoke a word against Fran. He and the younger illusionist instead shared their secrets, whether it be all in the past, or illusional training. Even Xanxus would not deny that their young Mist had become truly powerful. Byakuran, along with the rest of the Millefiore, fell without ever revealing the past of their false Funeral Wreath, Rasiel.

Even though emotions were hard to deal with, Fran expressed them to his prince, never completely hiding his feelings. Whether he was speaking in monotone or not, whether he wore his deadpan or showed it all, somehow, everyone could guess what he felt.

Fran was his true self, and he would continue to be for years to come.

**-Owari**

* * *

><p>Hehe~ I did it! Thanks so much to my little anonymous friend who reviewed yesterday. That was just the push I needed to get this up! Cookies to you!<p>

If you want to know what's next on my fanfiction list, please vote on the poll on my profile. :)


End file.
